Every Upcoming DC Studios Movie And TV Show And What We Know About Them
James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the co-heads of DC Studios, the new production house that will oversee all DC projects in film, television, animation, and games, back in November. After a short wait and lots of rumors, we now know more about what to expect from the pair, who announced the studio's upcoming plans at the end of January. The team has an 8-10 year plan in place that will start with Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. The initial announcements are part of that first chapter.
The various announcements are in different states of pre-production, with the animated series Creature Commandos already in production and the live-action film Superman: Legacy in the process of being written by Gunn himself. In his announcement, Gunn said that he considers storytelling to be king and wants these movies and series to reflect their creators' visions.
Along with these newly announced projects, a bunch of existing ones are still on the way, including the Flash and Aquaman films. The team wants to, where possible, have the same actors play characters across live-action, games, and animation, though it sounds like he expects that this won't always be possible. Gunn also addressed Matt Reeves' second Batman movie directly; when a project doesn't fit directly into the bonds of the interconnected DC Universe, it will be labeled as a DC Elseworlds project.
Superman: Legacy
Film (New)
Of all the new projects announced, Superman: Legacy is the only one with a firm release date, which is July 11, 2025. Superman Legacy is currently being written by Gunn himself, but did not announce a director or star--while Henry Cavill previously played the character, Gunn said that Cavill is not the right fit for the story. This won't be an origin story, but will instead deal with Superman's legacy as both a Kryptonian and a citizen of Earth.
The Authority
Film (New)
The Authority is a superhero team from the Wildstorm label. While heroes like Superman and Batman let their code dictate their actions, The Authority sees the world as a broken place that must be fixed by any means necessary, leading them to do things that look more villainous than heroic--think Ra's Al Ghul's plots in various Batman stories.
The Brave and The Bold
Film (New)
The Brave and The Bold is, in comics and animation, a place for Batman to cross over with other superheroes in the DC comics universe. In the DC Universe, The Brave and The Bold will tell the story of Batman and Damien Wayne and act as an introduction to the DCU's Batman and the DCU's version of the Bat Family. This will be separate from Matt Reeves' Batman, and will feature a different actor in the role.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Film (New)
Supergirl's film will come after Superman: Legacy. Gunn describes it as more of a science-fiction film. It's based on Tom King's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow storyline. While Superman was raised on Earth with steady influence from his parents, Supergirl grew up on a hunk of Krypton surrounded by destruction. She'll be more jaded than Superman, showing how their different backgrounds changed their outlooks. Supergirl does not yet have a director, writer, or star attached. With Gunn mentioning that the upcoming Flash film will serve as a DCU reset, it's possible that that movie's Supergirl, played by Sasha Calle, could appear here, but it seems like the reset will most likely involve a recasting as well.
Swamp Thing
Film (New)
Swamp Thing will be a dark horror story that investigates the origins of the Swamp Thing. Gunn describes it as being totally outside the DC Universe but says that it will still feed into the stories of the DCU. Swamp Thing was previously in two live-action movies in 1982 and 1989, with the first having been directed by horror legend Wes Craven. The character was also in two television series--a 1990 show on USA Network on cable that lasted for 72 episodes, and a live-action show from the defunct DC Universe streaming service that also spawned Doom Patrol, Titans, and Stargirl. The more recent series was produced by James Wan (Aquaman, Malignant, The Conjuring), but production on the show was halted before it could finish its first season.
Creature Commandos
Animated Series (New)
This animated show is already written by Gunn himself and is in production. Gunn specifically mentioned in his announcement of this title that we can look for characters to move freely between live-action and animation, with the character "usually having the same actor play their voice as who plays them in live-action." Creature Commandos has historically been a sort of supernatural military team, with characters that resemble classic horror characters filling out the ranks. Various incarnations of the team have included vampires, werewolves, Creature From The Black Lagoon-style amphibians, a gorgon, Frankenstein's monster, and a mummy who is a communications specialist. Weasel and the father of Rick Flag, Joel Kinnaman's character in the Suicide Squad films, will be part of the team, and the image Gunn shared also featured Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, and others.
Waller
TV series (New)
Since Gunn is busy with Superman: Legacy, Peacemaker Season 2 is reportedly on hold for now. Instead, Gunn says, we can look for members of Team Peacemaker in Waller, which will star Viola Davis as DC's least-good good guy, Amanda Waller. The show will pick up where Peacemaker left off, with Waller's daughter Leota Adebayo revealing Waller and her work to the world. Behind the show are Christal Henry, who wrote on HBO's 2019 Watchmen show, and Doom Patrol TV series creator Jeremy Carver, who will be fresh off the recently-canceled series.
Booster Gold
TV series (New)
Gunn describes Booster Gold as "imposter syndrome as a superhero." Booster is a "loser from the future" who uses tech to go back and time and become a superhero so that people will like him. Booster Gold debuted in live-action on the CW series Legends of Tomorrow for a hot second, played by Scrubs alum Donald Faison, before that show was unceremoniously canceled. Look for this show to appear on HBO Max.
Lanterns
TV Series (New)
Lanterns will take the place of the previously planned Green Lantern show. Instead of focusing on Alan Scott, it will tell the story of John Stewart and Hal Jordan, the two best-known Lanterns. Gunn called this a "terrestrial-based" story and compared it to shows like True Detective. The Lanterns act as space cops and will investigate a mystery that ties into the larger DC Universe.
Paradise Lost
TV Series (New)
Gunn compared Paradise Lost to Game of Thrones in his introduction. The series is set on Themyscira, home of Wonder Woman, and the story will be "about the political intrigue behind a society of all women" according to DC Studios co-president Peter Safran. The series will not involve Wonder Woman, despite it taking place on her home turf, as it is set before her birth.
Shazam: Fury of the Gods
Film
Set to release on March 17, 2023, Shazam: Fury of the Gods is a direct sequel to 2019's Shazam. Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids struggle with their superhero identities when a trio of ancient gods led by Hespera (Helen Mirren) appear to reclaim the magic they say was stolen from them.
Following statements about pharmaceutical company Pfizer made by Shazam star Zachary Levi, Gunn--himself once fired over tweets--confirmed that Levi's status as Shazam hasn't changed as a result of the comments. "Actors and filmmakers that I work with are going to say things that I agree with and things that I don't agree with," he said. "And that's going to happen. I don't have a list of things that somebody should say because of what I think. I can't be changing my plans all the time because an actor says something that I don't agree with."
The Flash
Film
While the future of The Flash in the DCU is still in the air, the upcoming Flash movie is still on the way and set to release on June 16, 2023. Gunn and Safran said that conversations about Ezra's continued portrayal of the character haven't happened yet as actor Ezra Miller "is completely committed to their recovery," following their actions in 2022 and that the discussion will happen "when the time is right." With that said, Gunn reportedly called the upcoming film "probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made." The Flash kicks the door open to DC's multiverse. Not only will we see Miller's Barry Allen, but both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton will appear as their respective iterations of Batman. The movie takes inspiration from Flashpoint, in which Barry Allen travels back in time to prevent his mother's murder. In comics and animation, Reverse-Flash plays a significant role in this story, but there are no indications that that character will be present in this film. Sasha Calle will appear as Supergirl, and Michael Shannon will reportedly return as General Zod from Man of Steel.
The Batman 2
Film
Set to debut on October 3, 2025, The Batman 2 is still happening with Matt Reeves directing and Robert Pattinson starring. This will be a separate project from the above The Brave and the Bold, which will star a different actor as the Caped Crusader. The movie, along with the sequel to Joker, will be labeled as DC Elseworlds projects, outside the series' main continuity.
Joker: Folie à Deux
Film
Hot off the success of 2019's Joker, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Joker: Folie à Deux is in production as of December 2022. Joaquin Phoenix will reprise his role, with Lady Gaga joining him as Harley Quinn. Joker: Folie à Deux will premiere October 4, 2024.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Film
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the sequel to the 2018 superhero film and is still on the way and set to release around Christmas 2023. The first film is the highest-grossing picture in the previous slate of DC films, and had already finished shooting before Gunn and Safran took over. Director James Wan has said that this film is a little more serious than the first one, and a little more relevant to the world right now.
Blue Beetle
Film
Of all the DC films that preceded the changing of the guard at Warner Bros. Discovery, Blue Beetle is the one we've had the most questions about. Starring Xolo Mariduena (Cobra Kai) as Jaime Reyes, a Mexican-American teenager who becomes Blue Beetle via alien technology. The film also features Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord, as wel as George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, Belissa Escobedo, Bruna Marquezine, Harvey Guillén, and Raoul Max Trujillo. We've neither seen nor heard much of the film, but Gunn confirmed that it is still on the way. Blue Beetle is currently scheduled to release on August 18, 2023.
Peacemaker
TV Series
As mentioned alongside Waller, Peacemaker Season 2 is still in DC's plans as of now but is on hold for the moment as Gunn puts together a new cinematic universe, writes a Superman movie, and helms an animated series. John Cena is expected to return as the titular character if the series resumes.
Superman & Lois
TV Series
One of the CW's few remaining TV series, Superman & Lois Season 3 is set to debut on March 14. According to Gunn, "it's a show everybody likes, so it's going to keep going for a bit." As of now, you can hold on for a Season 4.
Gotham Knights
TV Series
Gotham Knights will, in all likelihood, be the last Arrowverse-adjacent television show. Set to debut alongside Superman & Lois Season 4, this series focuses on an adopted son of Bruce Wayne, as well as the children of Batman villains like Harvey Dent and the Cluemaster, as they investigate Bruce's murder and try to clear the names of the falsely accused offspring. The series is neither a spin-off of any current Arrowverse characters, nor is it related to the recently-released videogame of the same name.
Dead Boy Detectives
TV Series
Based on the comic of the same name, Dead Boy Detectives is still headed toward production on HBO Max as of November. While the main characters of Edwin Payne, Charles Rowland, and Crystal Palace appeared on Doom Patrol Season 3, they will be portrayed by different actors in the eight-episode series. The series follows the two ghostly gumshoes and their alive friend Crystal solving supernatural mysteries, with the series description saying that "it's a lot like a vintage detective series--only darker and on acid."
Fallen Heroes - Canceled or scrapped projects
Film & TV Series
Following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger and the sale of the CW network, a number of DC projects have been canceled or scrapped. Batgirl was famously canned despite being finished shooting, and Wonder Woman 3 is considered a dead project. A planned Wonder Twins movie was scrapped in May 2022 before it even began production. On television, the CW canceled Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman last spring, and Stargirl's third season was announced as its last shortly before the end of the season. Lanterns, as mentioned above, is replacing the planned Alan Scott-centric Green Lantern show, and an animated series called Batman: The Caped Crusader from Batman: The Animated Series creator Bruce Timm is being shopped around.
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